Changes
by Aubrie1234
Summary: After a simple case goes wrong, Frank and Joe find themselves in positions they would have never dreamed themselves in: protecting each other against all odds while being chased by someone who hates and wants to hurt them in more ways than one. With bonds being tested to the limits and a big secret, how will the Hardy Boys resolve this case? (BEING REWRITTEN!)
1. Chapter 1

Changes

By: Aubrie1234

* * *

"I thought this was supposed to be a simple case!"

"Nothing we do is ever simple!"

"Yeah, but this is too much!" Joe and Frank were running through the forests of Bayport furiously, obviously trying to lose something that was tailing them.

"We would have never taken on this case if we knew it was going to go like this!" Frank said.

"You know we had to! Besides, A. T. A. C. is stretched as thin as it is lately! They couldn't put anyone else on this case!" Joe said.

"I know that!" Frank glanced back, "Do you think we-" He then tripped on a raised root, but Joe quickly grabbed his brother and pulled him forward. Lucky he did, as a large wolf burst out of the foliage behind them and it torn away some fabric off of Frank's pants' leg, but didn't hurt him.

"Run!" Joe yelled and pushed Frank to go faster.

"I'm doing the best I can!"

"Then do better!" The boys continued to run, Joe practically pushing his brother on as the wolf continued to chase them. However, with one big leap, the chase was brought to an end as the wolf tackled Joe to the ground. Frank staggered forward, the push throwing off his balance, but got it back in time to hear his brother shout in pain. Whipping around, he saw that the wolf had bitten Joe's neck severely and had raised a paw to make the finishing blow. Though he wasn't as athletic as Joe, Frank was smarter and with his quick-thinking, he grabbed a sturdy branch from the ground and swung it at the wolf, hitting it in the side of the head. Dazed, the wolf shook its head as it lowered its paw to the ground, and Frank took the chance to swing at it two more times, which scared it off. Once it was gone, Frank dropped the branch and quickly knelt beside his brother, assessing Joe's injuries.

"Oh man..." he whispered. Joe's neck injury seemed worse than Frank had thought (and the blond was also unconscious, probably blacking out from the pain), and there was no way an ambulance could get here, wherever they were. He would have to tend to Joe as best he could before carrying his brother on foot until he could find out where they were and call an ambulance. Running from the wolf had made them get lost, and now it could cost them Joe's life if he didn't get his brother to the hospital soon. Taking off his jacket, he tore it into strips and wrapped them securely yet gently around Joe's neck before picking up his brother and starting to carry him away; as he did, Frank thought about how they got into this mess in the first place...

* * *

 _ **Flashback:**_

 _"Look, another game cartridge!" Joe said, picking up the box. They were in their room, having just gotten back from school, and had found the case clue lying on Frank's bed._

 _"And it has a full moon and a big wolf on the front. What do you think that means?" Joe asked._

 _"I have a few theories, but I think we should check this out with Dad." Frank said. Joe nodded and followed him as he went back down the stairs, where the spotted their dad, Fenton, in the kitchen, tinkering with a device._

 _"Dad?" Joe spoke, getting their father's attention, "I know we're supposed to solve the meaning of these clues ourselves, but we're not exactly sure what this one means." Joe then showed him the box._

 _"Well, lately a large wolf has been spotted around Bayport, and has been disturbing the residents for some time."_

 _"Then why haven't we known about it?"_

 _"It isn't in this part of the city. Anyway, A. T. A. C. has been getting more and more cases lately, so you two are the only available ones who can do this."_

 _"Where has it been showing up and when?" As usual, Frank wanted the details._

 _"The south side of the city, in the denser part of the forest, and it only comes out at night."_

 _"Thanks a lot, dad." Their father smiled at them._

 _"You're welcome, but be careful you two, and good luck." The boys waved goodbye as they rushed out, hoping to start on the case early._

* * *

 _Frank had driven them out to the woods so they could gather clues before trying to catch the wolf, and Joe spoke up about what Frank had mentioned earlier._

 _"By the way what were your theories?" Frank shrugged._

 _"Nothing at all, really. One of them was basically what Dad told us, and the other didn't make any sense."_

 _"Your theories always make sense, so why doesn't that one?"_

 _"Well, it's based on the legends of the mythical werewolf, which, of course, isn't real, so in no way could that theory be plausible."_

 _"In English, please?"_

 _"There are no such things as werewolves, so my second theory can't be possible." Joe rolled his eyes._

 _"Of course. Anyway, let's start searching before it gets dark." After a while, when coming up with nothing, Joe spoke up again._

 _"What if werewolves were real?" he asked, "How would we handle this case?" Frank glanced at Joe briefly._

 _"Joe, I've already said-"_

 _"I know, but I just wanted to know how we would..."_

 _"I'm not sure, exactly." Frank admitted, "We're the best at A. T. A. C., but no one could handle a werewolf without the danger of being bitten. Besides, all we're doing is checking out what's going on before calling Animal Control."_

 _"Then why do I have a bad feeling about this case?" Joe muttered. Frank looked at him._

 _"What do you mean?" Joe shrugged._

 _"When we got here, I just got the weird feeling that something is going to go wrong. I've never felt this before, but it's serious."_

 _"Maybe we should postpone the case..." Joe shook his head furiously._

 _"No way! We've gotta do this! Why would you say that, Frank?"_

 _"I trust you, Joe, and if that's the feeling you're getting, then maybe we shouldn't do this." The blond stood his ground._

 _"No, we have to. If we don't, the wolf could hurt someone badly." Frank sighed._

 _"Alright, but I hope your feeling is wrong..."_

* * *

 _"Joe! I found something!" After searching for hours, Frank finally found something after they had to walk a bit deeper into the forest. It was a piece of torn red cloth hung on a bush, obviously having been caught as something went by._

 _"Who does this belong to and what was this a part of?" Joe asked._

 _"It's similar to t-shirt material, but how should I know who this belongs to?"_

 _"We could ask around when we get back, see if anyone-" Joe paused, however, and held up a hand for quiet. There was a rustling sound coming from a distance behind them, where they turned and looked through some bushes. There was a huge, dark brown wolf with green eyes sniffing around; it was as big as one of the dominoes Joe and Frank had to deal with on a case a while back, but the wolf was much more dangerous. In fact, it seemed angry, ripping up bushes and growling. Slowly backing away and quietly putting the bushes back, the two brothers looked at each other._

 _"That's it, isn't it?" Joe whispered._

 _"Seems like it." Frank pulled out his phone before frowning._

 _"No connection." he said, putting it away._

 _"Let's go quietly, so we don't attract attention." Joe said. Frank nodded and they slowly got up and walked away, before a snapping sound made them freeze. Looking down, Frank saw he had stepped on a small twig, and an angry growl sounded behind them._

 _"RUN!" Joe shouted and they bolted, running as fast as they could while the wolf started to chase them._

 _ **Flashback End.**_

* * *

 _All of this is my fault._ Frank thought before looking around, pleased to see that he was in a familiar place reaching for his phone and checking it. Relived to see the signal bars, he dialed 911, then called home.

"Hello?"

"Dad, it's Frank." The brunette leaned his brother against a tree, keeping him steady as he checked Joe's wounds again, wincing at the sight of them, "Listen, this case got a lot worse a few minutes ago."

"What happened?"

"We found the wolf, but it hurt Joe badly. I just called an ambulance, so we'll meet at the hospital."

"Take care of him, Frank." His dad ended the call on a worried note and Frank put the phone away, keeping an eye out for the ambulance and hoping they could get here in time. Ending the call told Frank that their dad knew the value of the time they had, and knew not to waste it.

* * *

When the ambulances came, everything felt like it flew by. The paramedics wrapped proper bandages around Joe's neck and loaded him into the emergency vehicle, where Frank rode with him to the hospital and stayed with his brother the whole way until they took Joe to the ER. Frank waited outside, also looking for his father, but mainly worried about Joe.

"Frank." The brunette jumped at the sound, but was more than happy to see Fenton, whom he hugged.

"Hey, dad." Frank looked towards the ER again, "I know you told us to be careful, but no one could have predicted what would happen."

"What about you?" Fenton looked him over, "Are you hurt at all?"

"No, just tore my pants' leg a little, but... it's my fault Joe was hurt. First I stepped on a twig, getting its attention, and then I tripped over a root, where Joe saved me and put me ahead of himself. It then leapt at him and forced him to the ground, where it bit his neck. I chased it off with a branch, but Joe's injuries were pretty serious; I would have called earlier, when we originally found it, but there wasn't a signal." Fenton hugged him again.

"At least you're safe; besides, you aren't the only one worried about him. Laura and Gertrude are worried sick about Joe, though they know as much as I did when you called. And you know how tough he is, he'll make it."

"I hope so..." Fenton looked at his son, who was still looking towards the ER sadly.

"Don't blame yourself, Frank; none of it was your fault."

"But what could I have done?" he asked, "I didn't know about the twig or see the root, and because of that, Joe got hurt."

"Frank, do you remember what I told you and Joe after catching Sarah the second time? You can't save everyone, and you also can't blame yourself for what happened. You did your best, and you probably saved your brother's life. Be thankful at least for that." Frank nodded as Fenton then took a second to look at his son's hands.

"And have you even washed your hands since tending to Joe?" Looking down, Frank saw the dried blood covering his hands; he had completely forgotten to wash them because of his worry.

"I'll wash up right quick." In minutes, Frank was back and they sat down together in the Waiting Room and, as the name suggests, waited.

* * *

Soon enough, a doctor, looking to be in his 20s, called for them.

"There's good news and bad news about Joseph's condition."

"Good news first." Frank said immediately.

"If all goes well, Joseph should be fine enough to exit the hospital in a few weeks, maybe with a few scars."

"And the bad news?" Fenton asked.

"He's had to have many stitches for his neck, can barely talk, and has some trouble breathing. It would be best for him to rest his voice until his neck has healed sufficiently."

"Can we see him?"

"We had to put him to sleep and give him pain medicine, but yes. This way." He led them down a hall to a door numbered 17, coincidentally matching Joe's age. Inside, Joe was sound asleep, neck wrapped in bandages, and a breathing tube was attached to his nose, probably for the breathing trouble. There was also a pulse monitor attached to the blond's wrist and a drip, probably filled with pain killers, attached to his other arm.

"This is in case his pulse becomes too slow. It will send an emergency message to the closest nurse or doctor the second it drops below 60 bpm." the doctor notified them before they could ask, "Also, since visiting hours were over before you came, I'm allowing you ten minutes to visit Joseph."

"Thank you, sir." Frank said, "By the way, what's your name?"

"Dr. Philips. I hope he gets well soon, too." Dr. Philips then left, leaving Frank and Fenton alone with Joe. Fenton took the chair beside Joe's bed while Frank stood.

"As soon as I can, I'm going to have not just A. T. A. C. on this case, but Animal Control and plenty of officers." Fenton spoke, looking intently at Joe, "You were right that this mission was dangerous, Frank. I don't want to nearly lose either of you, but you had a job to do."

"Well, this is going to be our last case for a while." Frank said, putting his hand over his brother's, "I'm not going back out as an agent until Joe gets better, and even then I'm not so sure I want to go on missions like this one anymore."

"I don't blame you, but think about what you're saying later. Would it be best for you to quit being an agent with everything the two have been through and the enemies you have?" Frank closed his eyes to think.

"...No, you're right, dad. It wouldn't just be selfish, we need to make sure we can stop who we can, and I think Joe will still want to go on missions, even after this." Fenton stood and patted Frank's shoulder.

"Remember, you don't have to make the decision just yet. Besides, it's time to go." Looking back at the still sleeping Joe, they said their goodbyes and left, Frank still wondering how the mission just went so wrong so quickly.

* * *

 _ **My first Hardy Boys story! I'm basing this off what I've read so far on the newest series, Undercover Brothers #20 DEADLY STRATEGY. I haven't read any of the other Hardy Boys books except for the original #36 SECRET OF PIRATES' HILL and Undercover Brothers #3 MAD HOUSE, but I'm basing this story just from DEADLY STRATEGY; give me tips if you want to or if I do something wrong, though.**_


	2. Chapter 2

Changes

By: Aubrie1234

* * *

Because Fenton had work to do the next day and his friends were worried about Joe, Frank invited Chet, Iola, and Callie to come with him to visit Joe the next day, being, as it was, a Saturday.

"So, what happened, exactly?" Iola asked from the backseat, which she shared with her brother as Callie rode in the front. Frank glanced at them; because they didn't know about A. T. A. C., he couldn't tell them the entire truth, but he would tell them as much as he could.

"Joe and I were working on a case about a wolf that was disturbing the nearby neighbors. I'm not sure why no one called Animal Control to work on this, but anyway, we found it, but I accidentally stepped on a twig and got its attention. It chased us and I tripped over a root, where Joe saved me, but the wolf hurt him. His neck was really injured, but I feel like its my fault for what happened, even though Dad said that it wasn't my fault."

"Well, you aren't usually that clumsy-" Iola hit Chet over the head before he could say anything more damaging.

"It wasn't your fault, Frank." Callie counseled, "And what were the extent of Joe's injuries?"

"He's had to have stitches and painkillers, of course, but the main thing the doctor told us is that Joe's barely able to talk and has had some trouble breathing. The good news, though, is that he should come out of there in a few weeks with maybe only a scar or two."

"That's great! Then maybe you guys can go back to doing what you love best: solving cases!" Chet said. Frank frowned.

"I'm not so sure, Chet. Like I told Dad last night, this is going to be our last case for a while. This is the worst either of us have been injured, and it's got everyone worried, like if this happens again. I'm pretty sure Joe will want to go back to solving cases, but I'm just not so sure." he gripped the steering wheel harder, "You didn't see the worst of Joe's injuries like I did. I nearly lost him, and I don't want to try for a second chance at that happening again. Or, at least, not too soon, if I do go back to solving cases. And even if I don't, I'll do them if Joe wants to go back to solving cases. I'm not going to leave him alone for a long while once he gets out of the hospital." Frank glanced at the rear-view mirror to his friends in the backseat, "Chet, Iola, if anything happened to either of you, the other would feel the same as I do. You'd worry about your sibling so much that you wouldn't be able to sleep at night and wouldn't leave their side for a long time. That's how I feel right now; I wouldn't stop Joe, but I'd keep a very close eye on him." It was quiet between them for the rest of the trip until Frank pulled into the hospital's parking lot.

"I hope he's awake." Frank said, "He wasn't last night, so if he is, I'm hoping to find out how he feels about what happened, even if his speech is limited."

"Even if he isn't, I bet he knows it wasn't your fault for what happened. And if he is, he'll try to tell you that." Iola said, "Stop blaming yourself, Frank." The brunette only sighed as he parked the car.

* * *

It didn't take them long to reach Joe's room, and when they opened the door, the blond was awake and reading a magazine someone had brought him, probably a nurse, and the breathing tube was gone, surprisingly. Upon seeing them, Joe put down the book and waved a bit.

"How do you feel, Joe?" Frank asked, taking the chair beside the bed as the others stood around the room. His brother gave a thumbs up and a smile.

"I guess the painkillers are helping, huh?" Callie said. Joe shrugged; how was he supposed to know if the stuff was working or not?

"So the doctor must have already told you not to use your voice. Is that why you're just making signs and stuff?" Chet asked, to which Joe nodded.

"Pretty weird not being able to use your voice, isn't it?" Iola said. Joe just crossed his arms.

"I'll take that as a yes." Joe rolled his eyes at the statement, like he was saying 'duh'.

"I know this might be a bad time, but do you remember what happened last night?" Joe nodded sadly at Frank's question, then pointed at his neck.

"Your injuries?" Joe nodded again.

"You needed stitches and the bandages are probably to keep you from bothering them, and the doctor said that you could barely talk and that you had trouble breathing. How are you breathing regularly now, anyway?" Joe shrugged.

"You don't know?" Callie asked. Joe crossed his arms again.

"What about the breathing tube?" Joe looked at Iola, confused.

"There wasn't a breathing tube when you woke up?" she asked, surprised, to which he nodded.

"Maybe your breathing got better during the night, so they took it out." Chet said.

"But the doctor, Philips, he said that it would take a few weeks at the least for you to heal, Joe. Your breathing couldn't have stabilized during the night; it's just too soon." Frank said. Joe rolled his eyes and gently pushed his brother.

"I think he's trying to tell you, Frank, that you're thinking too much." Callie said, smiling with the others. Frank smiled as well.

"You're probably right; I'll think about this later." he said, to which his brother smiled.

* * *

For the rest of the hour, they interacted until Laura and Aunt Trudy came over after work to visit Joe, so Frank and the others left, despite Joe's pleading looks.

"I can't help but feel sorry for him, with your mom and Aunt Trudy there now. They'll baby him so much he'll have wished you had stayed." Callie said, "Why did we leave, anyway?"

"A few reasons." Frank said, "One, there's no way I want to get stuck with both Mom and Trudy, with all their questioning, even with Joe and you guys backing me up; two, it was getting too crowded; three, I want your help on investigating the wolf Joe and I encountered. I think it might be connected to how Joe's breathing steadied so fast."

"Why do you think that?" Chet asked.

"Think about it. It was too soon for Joe's breathing to steady, based on how long it would take for him to heal. He's had trouble breathing after cases before, but it never stabilized this fast, and this is after our encounter with the wolf."

"I know it's just a legend, but do you think it could be a werewolf?" Iola asked.

"From what I've seen so far, even _that_ seems possible."

"So, now you want us to help you do more research on werewolves and see if the wolf that attacked you guys last night was one." Callie surmised.

"That's right. And, if there are werewolves around again and my brother was bitten by one, then you know what that means."

"We'll have to deal with a werewolf Hardy." Chet sighed, "This is crazier than any of your other cases, so much so that I'm starting to wonder why I'm still your friend, but I'll gladly help out."

"Callie and I will help out too." Iola said, "And don't hesitate to call us if something else happens, like if Joe transforms."

"Sure." They then stopped at the library, where they began their research.

* * *

After about an hour, they gathered in front of the library to report their findings.

"Anything?" Frank asked.

"Nope, at least for me." Chet said.

"Callie and I found a few books." Iola said, the two girls carrying about two books each, "Each one has different views on werewolves and the only ones we could find in the Nonfiction section."

"And we only checked them out for the week." Callie added, "We might need to look over them more than once if Joe gets well enough to leave the hospital this week."

"Good idea, Callie." Frank said, taking one of her books, "These might help us out a lot. But, hopefully, this is just a very rare occurrence and there was no werewolf."

"Let's just get reading." Iola said, "Preferably at your house, please."

"Why?" her brother asked.

"Do you _want_ someone to overhear us?"

"Good point..." Frank glanced at his watch and frowned.

"Guys, could you look over these books for me, please? We took longer than I thought we would have and I want to visit Joe one more time, if I can." Callie smiled and motioned for the others to do so.

"Sure, Frank. Just drop us off at your house right quick." The brunette smiled back.

"Thank you, Callie. Let's go." With nods, they hurried to Frank's car.

* * *

After dropping them off at his house like he had agreed to, Frank went to the hospital. When he had checked his watch, it showed that there were only two more hours before visiting hours were over, giving him plenty of time, but he wanted to make sure, adding in traffic and other things that could slow him down. It also didn't take him long to get to Joe's room, where he also found his father; made sense, since Fenton had gotten out of work a few hours before.

"Frank." Fenton nodded.

"Hey, dad, Joe."

"Hey." Frank did a double-take.

"Joe, did you just speak?!" The blond nodded.

 ***** "Yeah. Ca' 'ay 'o'e 'hi'gs, 'u' I 'ry."

"I was surprised, too." Fenton said, "I was almost certain Joe still should have been on the breathing tube, but when I got here, he was talking like he is now." Joe nodded to confirm.

"So, it doesn't hurt when you speak?" Frank questioned, "When I came by with Chet, Iola, and Callie, you didn't make a sound."

"'o' 'e'er."

"Got better?" Joe nodded at Frank's translation, "Hmm..."

"You've been researching the wolf, haven't you?" Fenton asked.

"Yeah, we went straight over to the library. Joe and I talked last night about how it might have been a werewolf, though I didn't believe so at the time, but now, with the speed healing... I think Joe may have been right." His brother grinned, showing off his teeth.

 ****** "'o'd you 'o." Frank smiled at his brother, but had his eyes looking at Joe's teeth. They seemed...sharper, somehow; maybe a trick of the light or his imagination? Frank made sure to note it to the others later, but not now.

"I guessed something was wrong myself when I saw how well Joe was doing, but a werewolf?" Fenton shook his head, "I believe you, Frank, but it seems impossible that a werewolf, of all things, was what attacked Joe last night."

"Maybe you should have A. T. A. C. investigate the case, like you were saying last night." Frank said, "And anyway, yesterday was a full moon. We still have tonight and tomorrow before the werewolf disappears, if it only appears during the full moon. And," Frank looked at his brother, "If that was a werewolf that attacked you, Joe, you might be one too, now." Joe's eyes widened before he looked crestfallen.

 ******* "I 'o' wa'a hur' a'yo'e."

"We know, Joe; we know." Fenton comforted his son with a pat on the back, but Joe didn't look any better.

"And while I'm here, it might be best to make a list of the letters you can't sound out." Frank said, "That way we have an easier time of what you're saying, at least for now." Joe nodded and together, the three started to make a list.

* * *

"B, D, F, G, J, L, M, N, P, S, T, V, X, and Z. A little over half the alphabet, and many important letters." Frank said after finishing the list. It hadn't taken long, since they had asked Joe words with strong emphasis on certain words.

"You might not be able to talk correctly, Joe, but at least can talk." Fenton encouraged before looking at the clock on the wall, "And visiting hours are almost over, so I guess we'd better be leaving. Good night, boys." They waved goodbye to their dad as he left, and Joe looked at Frank.

"Wha' o'a ha'e'?"

"What's gonna happen?" Frank translated, to which Joe nodded, "Honestly, I don't know. But, I've been wanting to tell you this ever since you got hurt yesterday, Joe; I've already talked it over with Dad, but I knew you'd want to hear it to." Frank sighed, "With what happened, I'm think of taking a break from sleuthing."

"Wha'?!" Joe said, shocked, ******** "Rake, 'o'! 'ay a 'eu'h!"

"I know you'd say that, but with what's happened..." Joe shook his head fiercely, earning him an ache in the neck. He rubbed it, trying to stop the ache, and Frank shook his head.

"Now look what you did. Be more careful with yourself, Joe. And one more thing, before I leave," Frank looked at his brother in confusion, "I understand you were trying to say my name, but why Rake instead of the way you're saying the words now?" Joe smiled.

 ********* "You're 'ecia'." Frank smiled.

"Thanks, little brother. I'll see you tomorrow, and because of how quick you're healing, you'll probably be discharged then, too." Joe nodded as Frank left, but then dropped the smile and sighed.

 _If I am a werewolf, then I don't want to hurt anyone, especially not my family and friends._ he thought.

* * *

 _ **My second chapter, and I've got some translations down here for what Joe is saying, if you want to know. They'll be needed later, and you'll see why. Also, Rake is going to be the name Joe gives Frank at certain times, like what I'm doing with the translations. But for now, read and review, readers!**_

 ***"Yeah. Ca' 'ay 'o'e 'hi'gs, 'u' I 'ry." = "Yeah. Can't say some things, but I try."**

 ****"'o'd you 'o." = "Told you so."**

 *****"I 'o' wa'a hur' a'yo'e." = "I don't wanna hurt anyone."**

 ******"Rake, 'o'! 'ay a 'eu'h!" = "Frank, don't! Stay a sleuth!"**

 *******"You're 'ecia'." = "You're special."**


	3. Chapter 3

Changes

By: Aubrie1234

* * *

 **Dear Readers, I've read many more Hardy Boys books since I last updated, so hopefully I can write this story better and even modify the earlier chapters. Also, read and review!**

* * *

Upon arriving home, Frank found his friends gone, but there was a note and several sheets of paper on the dining room table beside the books they had checked out earlier that day. The lights were also out, signifying that the rest of the family was asleep. Turning on a small light in the kitchen, Frank sat at the table to read the papers, starting with the note.

 _Frank,_ the note was in Callie's handwriting, _Since you took so long, we decided to write down what we found out before we left. The papers should be with this note, but they're not so good; I know you'll ignore my warning and read the papers anyway, and I know you're already very worried, but, no offense, I think Joe should be locked away for a while, or at least until we figure out more of what's going on._ Frank's eyes narrowed as he finished reading the note. What would they read that would make them think this about their own best friend, especially Iola?

Laying down the note, Frank instantly went into reading their notes and soon saw why Callie had warned him; a lot of the stuff found warned that werewolves were unpredictable and could transform at any night, regardless of full moon, and all of the werewolves mentioned were out of control. Before he had left, Frank had noticed his baby brother's uneasiness and worry; was the fear of hurting people (or even killing them) bothering Joe? Knowing the blond, Frank guessed that it was and wondered how he was supposed to handle his brother if he ever got out of control.

Another discovery that disturbed him, though it was common with werewolf legends, was that silver could hurt a werewolf; some of the books even mentioned that it didn't have to be a bullet to harm a werewolf. Even touching silver could (or would) scar the person, wolf form or not. Frowning, Frank fingered the necklace he wore; it had been a gift from Callie for their 5-year dating anniversary, just a week ago, and was dark brown leather with a silver crescent hanging off. If the part about silver was true, then Joe wouldn't be able to get near any silver, including the necklace. Callie wouldn't like it, but she would understand; after all, she was involved in this werewolf business somewhat.

And speaking of werewolves, what about the one he and Joe encountered during their case a few nights ago? It couldn't have just left the forest, he knew, but there was a chance that, if it _was_ a werewolf, it may have wanted to get at the Hardys again. Frank knew Joe was better at the instinctual stuff, but even he could feel that he was right about his hunch, and it worried him. Rubbing his eyes, he looked at the clock on the wall, which told him it was nearly 11 o'clock. How had it gotten so late so fast? Yawning, Frank debated whether to follow his feeling or get some sleep; it didn't take long to decide as sleep soon became the only option, as he had trouble keeping focused on the notes and keeping his eyes from drooping. Gathering up the papers and books and turning off the light, he quietly climbed the stairs to his room, where he put the papers and books on his desk and went straight to the bed with undressing. The second his head hit the pillow, he was out like a light, snoring softly.

* * *

At midnight, the cables connected to the power and the burglary system were cut. Seconds later, the lock to Frank's window was picked and silently eased open. Quietly clamoring into the room, a huge, hairy figure looked around and, spotting the notes on the desk, ripped them to shreds, carefully making sure all the pieces were in the waist-bin beside the desk before turning to the sleeping Hardy. The brunette had barely moved since falling asleep and was now on his side, facing away from the figure, who advanced, raising a hand as if to strike.

Frank, somehow feeling the heavy, hot breath of the figure even at a yard, frowned in his sleep and turned over. The figure paused at this, waiting to see if the boy would awake, and when he did not, continued its approach. However, what the figure hadn't known was that the wood around Frank's bed was a bit squeaky, as the room had been shared by the brothers before they had become 14; their bunk-bed had rested in the same place's Frank's did now, and with the boys' combined weight, had softened to the point where it creaked when stepped on. So, when the figure was almost on top of Frank, the wood groaned loud enough to only awake the single Hardy, whose eyes snapped open.

Seeing the large figure, Frank had almost shouted in surprise when the figure seemed spooked itself and raced to the window, leaping out. Thinking of the two-story drop, Frank dashed to the window, but saw nothing; the figure had disappeared. Heart racing, he was about to get his parents when he noticed the absence of paper on his desk. Taking a closer look, he found that only the notes made that night were gone; but, the figure hadn't been carrying anything with it and the paper couldn't have been folded up without making enough noise to wake him, that much he knew. Another dreaded thought had come to him was about how it was only the notes that were missing. The figure must have been involved with what was happening and probably ripped up the papers, and with it coming to attack Frank, it may now be after Joe as well. Worry taking over, Frank ignored waking his parents or aunt and raced downstairs, only grabbing the keys to his father's van and the house on the way.

* * *

Joe found that since he had woken up from his injuries, he wasn't tired at all and wouldn't be getting any sleep soon. He knew he should have already gone to sleep, as it was past bedtime for patients, but he couldn't. He was actually moving around the room, too much energy to sit still, and looked out the window every so often to look at the moon. Besides his discussion earlier with his father and brother, Joe had developed an interest in the moon, which he reasoned was from his new werewolf side, if he had one, and he was certain he did.

After making another lap around the room, Joe stopped to sit on the bed and lay back, wanting to finally think about what was going on, now that some of his trapped energy was out of his system. He remembered the night that all of this had started, and the fear he had felt for his brother, not just himself. Frank may have believed that he was responsible for what happened, but Joe knew that wasn't it; Frank was blaming himself because he felt helpless, unable to help Joe, though he wished he could.

Joe smiled at the thought as he closed his eyes, knowing he felt the same way every time Frank got hurt or worse. It was brotherly instinct to take care of your brother as much as you could and then feel helpless when you couldn't do anymore. Joe supposed it was the same with other siblings, like sisters or a brother and sister, and even those who had more than one sibling; he also supposed that the strength of the instinct and feelings depended on how strong the sibling bond was, which was why it hurt so much to both him and Frank, since they had such a good relationship.

Joe then heard something and quieted, trying to make it seem like he was asleep. A sound was coming from the window, like it was being picked, and then there was the slight squeak of the hinges as the window opened. There was a clack of something sharp or metallic as it his the floor, and also heavy breathing; the blond could feel it even as he lay on the bed, which was several feet from the window. The clack was then heard again and again, like something was walking over to the bed, and then he could feel the stranger's shadow over him, blocking the moonlight.

The blond contemplated whether to shout, even with his marred voice, or just open his eyes to startle the stranger before attacking, but didn't make a decision as there was a slight noise in the hall, like someone running, and the stranger must have picked up on it too, because Joe could feel the suddenly tense vibe the stranger gave off. Then, there were more clacks as the stranger went to the window and a whoosh, like it had jumped out, but how could it? Joe's room was on the fourth floor, making that a 40-ft. drop, seeing as there were no trees near his window. Just as he opened his eyes and was ready to check out the window, the door was flung open by none other than his furiously panting brother.

"Wha' are you 'oi' here?" Joe asked, standing to help his brother.

"Werewolf...attack...home...sleep..." Nothing made sense, so Joe sat his brother in the chair beside his bed and waited for Frank to catch his breath. Once he did, he told his brother of the attack on him and his rush to make sure Joe was okay, not even trying to check in in his worry.

"I guess I got here first." Frank said before Joe shook his head, "So the stranger got here first?"

"Yeah, 'u' you 'ro'e i' away." Frank smiled at knowing he got here in time.

"Well, it's what big brothers do, isn't it? We drive away dangers to our little brothers." Joe smiled and the brothers hugged.

"I wa' ho'e." Frank's smile faltered at Joe's sigh.

"I know you do. You'll be fine for a while longer, won't you?" Joe's sadness hurt Frank's heart, but he turned and left before he made a decision he knew he would regret. Staring after his brother, though he couldn't see him anymore, Joe clenched his fists and made a deep growl, deeper than any he had ever made before. He knew Frank couldn't have stayed, but he wish his brother had; not only was it lonely much of the time, he noticed, the doctors had become suspicious of his rapidly increasing health. He was scared, though he hated to admit it; they were trustworthy, he knew, but there were certain lines some would cross if they wanted fame & fortune, not to mention contributing to science. Joe had been on enough cases to know what those lines were, and that the science mentioned wasn't good for both sides; which is why he wanted to get out of there, before anyone else found out he was a werewolf, if he really was one.

* * *

Being a school day, Frank nor any of his friends could visit Joe until the day was over, which the brunette couldn't wait to happen. He knew his brother didn't like the hospital (neither did he, with their share of scrapes, usually from cases, getting them stuck in there more than once), and he wished he was with him now. When he did finally get out of school, his friends that had been away for the weekend and hadn't seen Joe, Biff, Tony, Jerry, and Phil, wanted to go with him.

"We heard about Joe, though I'm guessing that there's something you can't tell us. How is he?" Biff asked.

"Much better. I think he might even be released today, but I was already going over there to visit him."

"Could we come with you?" Jerry asked.

"Sure. Get in, if you can." Frank grinned as Biff, Tony, and Phil had to squeeze into the back of his convertible while Jerry took the passenger seat. Frank took the driver's seat and started the car, backing out of his parking spot and moving to the road.

* * *

On the way, Frank noticed the three in the back kept looking up at the rear-view mirror quite often, looking somewhat anxious.

"Is someone tailing us?" he asked.

"There's been this dark blue car following us since we left the school, and I didn't think much of it until now, with how long it's been following us." Tony spoke.

"Think it's one of your enemies?" Phil asked.

"Maybe. Could be one of Dad's; I'm going to try and lose them. If I'm right they're doing this to kidnap Joe, myself, or both of us, if he doesn't know that Joe isn't here."

"He probably does after seeing us at school." Jerry said, "He might be doing this to find out where Joe is." Frank growled as he turned onto a side-street, aiming to double back and lose the car tailing them.

"If he even _threatens_ Joe he'll regret it, dangerous or not." The boys knew how protective Frank was of his brother, but they had never heard his express protectiveness so openly; however, one thing they did know was to never get on the brunette's bad side when Joe was involved. Frank may be the calm, rational one of the detective duo, but his protectiveness would always override his sensibility when it involved his brother being in danger; this sort of made the others feel a bit sorry for whoever was tailing them, if he _was_ after Joe.

* * *

After a few laps around various blocks, they finally lost the car, where they continued unhindered to the hospital. Joe was very happy to see his others friends, who were as equally happy to see him quite fine. Joe was even talking fine now, and said that the doctors allowed him to be discharged at any time.

"That's great, but Mom and Aunt Trudy will probably have to get you." Frank said, "One, my car is crowded enough with these jokers," the others gave the elder Hardy playful glares, "And two, someone was trying to tail us on our way over." Joe's eyebrows rose.

"Have you talked to Dad about this yet?"

"No, but hopefully this isn't anything major. You need rest before you start taking another case." Joe pouted, crossing his arms.

"No fair."

"Fair enough." Biff said, "You're in no condition to investigate this, even if you do seem fine." Joe glared at them all before sighing.

"Fine. But as soon as I'm well enough, we're taking on the case, if Dad hasn't already." Frank nodded before glancing at the clock on the wall, which was at a quarter to 4.

"Mom and Aunt Trudy should have been here by now." Frank said, "They get off from work the same time we get out of school, and Aunt Trudy is really punctual, so where could they be?"

"You think something happened?" Jerry asked and Frank nodded.

"I think we should check the house and find out what's going on, but I can't just leave Joe alone..."

"Here, Tony and I will stay." Phil said, "We'll keep an eye out for your mom and aunt if they come by while taking care of Joe, and you can take Biff and Jerry and check out your house." The blond Hardy was too worried to comment, wondering if it had something to do with him as Frank agreed.

"We'll be back soon, and make sure Joe stays out of trouble." There were nods from their friends as Frank left with Biff and Jerry, leaving Joe in the company of Phil and Tony.


	4. Author's Note

Changes

By: Aubrie1234

* * *

 _ **Dear Readers, I'm sorry. I've not given up on this story, but I'm rewritting it. It just doesn't look or sound (or read) right to me anymore. So it might be different, but I'll try to keep it to the plot I wanted in this original. Once it comes out, please read it! Again, I'm sorry about this.**_


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